AMICC adult league soccer champion Sato crowned

Anna Maria Island Community Center adult coed soccer and basketball leagues closed out their seasons last week with champions crowned in both sports.

Adult soccer culminated Nov. 15 with Sato Real Estate taking on Wash Family Construction for the top prize, the Island Sippy Cup, while the basketball championship between Best Buy and Gatorman Pools was played on Nov. 13.

The Sippy Cup battle was competitive up until the 10th minute when Diego Felipe took a throw in from deep in the Wash end that Lexi Braxton volleyed past Wash goalie Don Purvis for a 1-0 lead.

Armed with a 1-0 lead, Sato then bunkered down on defense with Josh Sato hanging back and cleaning up any offensive chances by Wash.

Sato added to its lead in the 23rd minute when Ryan Hogan’s throw in was headed past Purvis for a 2-0 lead as the half came to a close.

Early in the second half, Wash had a great scoring chance when Greg Ross received a long pass to the corner. Ross held the ball and passed back to Scott Eason, who fired a shot to the left of Sato goalie Mike Brusso. Brusso stumbled to his left and got a finger on the ball, which then deflected off the post and laid in front of the goal. Zoran Kolega closed in on the loose ball, but Brusso swept it across the end line, giving Wash a corner kick, but preserving the shutout.

Wash should have scored in the 36th minute when Kris Yavalar found Ross inside the goalie box, but Ross blasted it over the goal to the tennis courts.

Two minutes later, Braxton scored her second goal when she volleyed a throw in from Josh Sato into goal for a 3-0 lead. Sato put the game away in the 40th minute when Felipe found Christianson at the top of the box. He took two touches forward before drilling a rocket to the left of Purvis for a 4-0 lead.

Wash ended the shutout for Brusso when Kolega received a goal kick at the 35-yard line. He dribbled forward before unleashing a rocket that deflected off Felipe and went into the goal to end the game Sato 4, Wash 1.

Braxton and Christianson finished with two goals each, while Josh Sato, Hogan and Felipe each had assists on the evening. Brusso finished with four saves in goal for the Sato defense that received a strong game from Josh Sato.

Kolega scored the lone goal for Wash, which received a strong game and 19 saves from goalie Purvis.

Gatorman pulls upset in finals

Best Buy went through the regular basketball season undefeated and pretty much unchallenged as no one had an answer for Antwaun Jackson.

He scored 37 points in the championship game, but 30 points from Craig Boery, including eight three-pointers and double-figure scoring efforts from three other players offset Jackson’s big game, allowing Gatorman Pools a 79-75 victory in the championship game.

Best Buy, which was led by Jackson’s 37 points, seven rebounds and six assists, also received 27 points from Brandon Kern and 9 points from Tyler Bekkerus. Johnny Smith completed the scoring for Best Buy with 2 points. Chuck McCracken and Troy Shonk rounded out the Best Buy roster.

Horseshoe news

Four teams emerged from pool play with 3-0 records and battled for the day’s bragging rights during Nov. 17 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. In the first semifinal Tom Skoloda and John Crawford edged Steve Doyle and Tom Markley 21-20. George McKay and Rod Bussey defeated Hank Huyghe and Norm Good by a 21-16 score. McKay and Bussey then defeated Skoloda and Crawford 22-16 to earn the day’s bragging rights.

Two teams advanced to the knockout round during the Nov. 14 games. Bussey and Jerry Disbrow thumped Gene Bobeldyk and Bruce Munro 21-5 in the finals.

Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection.